This Can't Be The End
by Grae
Summary: A dusty book, a forgotten necklace, four boys and an out of control future.
1. Default Chapter

This Can't Be The End

Chapter 1: Hidden Compartments

1978

Under the starry sky where the suns last rays fell James Potter raced ahead of his fellow Gryffindor Quidditch team anxious to get a shower in the big castle. Tonight was the full moon, his friend needed him.

Remus Lupin opened the castle doors and slipped into the night, covered by an invisibility cloak borrowed, he and Peter Pettigrew huddled together underneath. Suddenly a shining light surrounded Peter and he disappeared, in his place was a rat. The rat scurried over to the base of a seemingly dormant tree. Putting his paw on a knob the tree froze, keeping its branches stock still so the boys could slip through a trapdoor underneath its base. The castle doors opened with a bang. Remus span around forgetting he was covered with the cloak and held his breath until he realised a familiar black haired boy sprinting closer.

_Oh damn where are they?_ The black haired boy thought desperately. _Hope I'm not too late!_

Remus pulled off the cloak and scowled at him.

"Sorry I'm late, quidditch practice and all" James puffed apologetically, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

"I wish the moon was late," Remus replied darkly, scowling at the almost risen moon. "Come on, better get this over with." they entered the tree.

1998

Hermione's day couldn't have gotten off worse. It was the first day of 7th year, last night had been a shock, none other than Draco bloody Malfoy it seemed had been made Head boy, so they had to share a common room as well as most of their lessons. Even now he couldn't stop calling her a 'mudblood' non-stop. Her only escape now was the quiet solitude of the library.

Sitting in the common room in a straight back chair in front of the fire, surrounded by piles of books, doing an essay on the unforgivable curses for Professor Rodney, a blonde streak blurred past in a hurry, apparently not noticing her.

"Twitchy little ferret aren't you," commented Hermione scathingly, not looking up at him, but writing down the correct wording for Avada Kedavra.

"Mudblood" Malfoy replied darkly continuing into his room.

'He he he' she whispered sarcastically to herself 'one nil to me' she checked her watch 'half an hour, could make it' she left her stuff on the table and went to the library.

Strolling up and down countless bookshelves ten minutes later, she searched for one particular book. _Damn _she thought, yawning and pushing long brown hair out of her eyes _there all taken . . . _CLUNK.

Her fingers had brushed past a concealed button on one of the top shelves opening up a hidden compartment in the back of the shelf.

_What's this? _Reaching up she pulled out two dusty items: a very dusty book and a very dusty necklace. Blowing off the thick layers of dust she carefully carried them to the closest table. Placing the book on a table and the necklace in her pocket, she glanced at the title . . .

_THE MARAUDERS MEMORIES_

She rubbed her eyes thinking that her brain was acting up because of how tired she was but no it was still there.

Suddenly the library door burst open and in came a familiar, tall lanky redhead boy and another familiar shorter black-haired boy, both of 17 years. Swiping the book off the table Hermione quickly hid the book behind her back and somehow managed to slip it in the bookshelf behind her. Something about this book made her feel as if she needed to keep it to herself and herself alone

As soon as they entered the shack a ray of moonlight from the newly risen moon passed over Remus' face. He doubled over in pain, _just in time _he thought sarcastically over the howling of the inner wolf in his head. Crying out in pain he felt his face elongate into gaping jaws and his hands fold into paws, his cloths rip as his back expand and fur bristle all over his body. He let a long echoing howl escape his jaws, reverberating into the night. Looking around his canine eyes peering into the darkness he spotted three familiar shapes: a stag, a huge bear like dog and a rat.

_Took you long enough Sirius _Remus said telepathically

_I was waiting for you here _Sirius replied, padding up to lick Remus' snout apologetically. _I wanted to get out early, you know me._ A lopsided grin spread over the dogs face.

Suddenly the upstairs floor shook and silver light poured through the cracks between the floorboards. Remus ear's pricked up and his senses went into overdrive.

Some human was upstairs.

"Harry, Ron what are you guys doing here?" Hermione asked making sure the book was properly in the bookcase.

"We came to find you" Harry replied weaving through tables to reach her. "We checked your common room and had abuse thrown at us by Malfoy."

"Naturally. Bloody git." added Ron

"But you weren't there"

"We could understand why you had left so we decided to check for you here." Ron ended.

"Yeh well you found me, what did you want?" she said. In her head she made a list . . .

1. Help with the essay

2. Help with the essay

Or 3. Help with the essay

"Hermione, you should know us by now, try and guess"

"Hmm let me see . . . Help with the essay!" she replied with mock thought, raising an eyebrow.

"Got it in one" Harry agreed grinning happily

"Look it's late and I really need to get some sleep and anyway you guys should get some sleep to especially with the Quidditch game on tomorrow. I'll help you with the essay later ok" Hermione said sleepily.

"Ok sure 'mione, you look as if you need sleep at any rate," Ron said understandably

"Plus you've gotta be up to cheer us on!" Ron and Harry smiled.

"Oh thanks a million guys," she said running up to them and giving them each a hug and a small peck on the cheek. "Well I've just gotta get a book out, so I'll see yous tomorrow kay"

"Ok see you tomorrow Hermione" Harry said. She waved as they departed.

_Phew, luckily they didn't see that book, too many awkward questions that I don't have the answers for_. She grabbed the book and departed herself.

Once at the common room portrait she slipped inside. Sitting in a lumpy sofa reading as the firelight gleamed off his platinum blonde hair was Malfoy. _I hope I can sneak past with out his notice_ she thought desperately.

With success she managed to get past Malfoy and into her room. Slamming the door shut she pulled the necklace out of her pocket she blew the remaining dust off. Throwing the book unceremoniously onto her bed she examined the necklace. Glinting slightly from the moonlight coming in from the opened window, it seemed as if the necklace looked familiar somehow. Expertly crafted and shaped a Chinese lung dragon coiled majestically around a full moon. She had remembered seeing something like this ages ago . . . In her childhood perhaps, it looked so familiar. With to many other things on her mind at the moment she placed it back in her pocket.

Getting comfy on her four-poster bed she opened the book.

Two things happened then that Hermione did not intend. First she felt a strange sensation in her stomach as a strange silvery light surrounded her. And secondly she saw the necklace she had placed in her pocket fly out and as if by magic (it probably was) hovered to her neck and clasped itself around her neck. A strong breeze came from the pages, so strong that the force of it whipped around her and lifted her slightly off the bed. The last thing she remembered was a slamming open of a door and a shell-shocked Malfoy gazing at where she had just disappeared.


	2. Of Scaly Tails

This Can't Be The End

Chapter 2: Of Scaly Tails

Remus crept up the rickety staircase, his claws clicking lightly on each step taken. He could smell human flesh mingled with the even stronger stench of fear and wonder. But it changed.

Sirius picked up the smell as well, laying back his ears and growling he bounded up the stairs and past Remus, blocking his path and growled a warning. Suddenly the scent was gone. Sirius put a puzzled look on Padfoots face so that even Prongs got the message.

Peter scurried past James and Sirius pushing Moony back down the stairs. Reaching the top he scurried though a crack in the doorframe.

_Moony STOP _the werewolf ignored him and kept trying to push past the big dog and stag curious to find out what had happened to the human stench. Sirius growled another warning and Prongs bellowed

_Moony Please, you don't want to do this, Remus dose not want this to happen _All the time trying to get him back down the stair.

Hermione felt wired, changed somehow, stretched and elongated. She looked around and found that not only could she see perfectly well in the dark, but that she wasn't in her room or any she had been in. Then she remembered . . . She was in the shrieking shack. There was the four-poster bed almost exactly as she remembered it from her 3rd year except that it looked newer. And the boarded windows. She saw a tail . . .

"Ahhhhhh . . ." she was supposed to scream but came out as a muffled roar which made her scream and roar even more.

When she had quieted a bit she picked up a muffled shuffling and squeaking and saw a bald rat-tail disappear through a crack in the doorframe. She didn't pay any attention to the rat and thought that the whole place must have been infested with them anyway. She had more important things to worry about like the fact that she had a scaly tail, wings and the fact that she seemed to fill the whole room . . .

Peter came scurrying back down the rickety staircase to find that James and Sirius had managed to push Moony back and were keeping guard at the bottom of the stairs. Moony was pacing just out of reach. Being as small as a rat Wormtail had to jump and grab Prongs' tail to get his attention. Prongs looked down at the squeaking rat and started being led back up the stairs, clambering awkwardly as he came, with Padfoot and Moony following in his wake.

Hermione heard a clattering and looked towards the door. She could smell flesh, her mouth watered slightly. Shaking her head to get the thoughts out she whipped some silvery hair over in front of her eyes. Cringing she lowered herself to the dusty floor and wrapped her tail around herself, feeling sorry.

Seconds later a creaking heralded the door being swung wide and a proud set of antlers rising to the ceiling. Rasing her head slightly she took in what she saw. A magnificent stag stood in the doorway its eyes wide and staring like a rabbit in headlights. It began pawing the floor and started backing back down the stair but was stoped with a growl as a bear like dog squeezed past not noticing what was in the room. Its eyes swept the room and stoped on Hermione who raised her head even more taking in the new sight. Whimpering it also started backing away almost trampling a rat that had taken cover underneath. Then Hermione drew a breath, in came, walking proud, a werewolf with flashing yellow eyes. She fainted.

Suddenly she began to shrink losing her tail, wings, scales and horns. Shrinking back into her human form.

Sirius understood what was happening. Quickly he stood in front of the fully transformed human girl. Moony started advancing on the stricken human, bearing his wickedly sharp teeth, his eyes wide and staring. Sirius tensed up and tackled Moony out of the door. Prongs rushed and stood visual at the door. Sirius and Moony were locked in combat, jaw to jaw, until Moony broke free and rushed at the door. Prongs lowered his antlers and stood his ground blocking the doorway. Meanwhile Peter had transformed back, with risk to his life (AN: the first and probably last time!)

and had rushed to the girl's side. Looking on he saw Prongs lower his head and stand his ground as Moony rushed at him. Stepping forward the stag caught the werewolf in its antlers and threw him back down the stairs. Rushing to the door Peter slammed the door shut, threw the lock shut and dragged a chest-of-draws in front of the door.

Moony landed with a thud at the bottom of the stairs looking up he recognised Padfoot and Prongs standing at the top looking down at him.

Sirius bounded down the stair and placed his paws on the shoulders of the struggling werewolf. Looking down into the werewolf's eyes Sirius saw them melting back into an amber shading.

Suddenly pain flared up through the werewolf's back and chest, howling in pain he curled up into a tight ball and waited till the pain disappeared. Afterwards he felt a hand on his shoulder. Wiping tears of pain from his eyes he looked up to see Sirius crouching next to him. He felt so glad to have friends like the ones he had, who stood by him.

"You ok pal?" Sirius asked sympathetically, griping his shoulder.

"I'll manage," he rasped back getting slowly to his feet and wincing in pain "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Oh yeah, sorry bout that," Sirius said apologetically offering him a hand. "But there was a girl."

"I wanted to see her." Remus grimaced. "She could turn into a dragon . . . Very impressive. I expect that would take quite a bit of magic for that, not to mention a very powerful wizard or, in our case, a witch. Just imagine," a shiver flickered over his face, "I could have bitten her. Thank God you guys stoped me." He looked up at James and found Peter waiting at the top. Standing next to him was James and the mysterious brunette in his arms.

Upon waking Hermione kept her eyes shut hoping that it was just a really cool nightmare. _It was just a dream, it was just a dream, I did not see Moony Wormtail Padfoot and Prongs, I did not see them, its impossible cause it was just a dream. _She turned her head and a ray of light from the open window fell across her face and she opened her eyes.

Peering at her from both sides of the couch were four boys.

She almost fainted again with shock. One of the boys had unruly black hair, hazel eyes and was almost the splitting image of his son. Crouching next to him sat a long, dark haired, gorgeous, dull smoky eyed 17 year old. On the other side stood two more guys. One with light brown hair that fell over his ears and his tired amber eyes. The last boy had mousy brown hair and had a slightly pointed nose.

Hermione gasped and sat up on the couch. She almost burst into tears but she held them off but alas tears began to leak out, quicker the more she tried to make them stop. Curling up in a ball she tried to hide.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder she looked up wiping tears away with the back of her hand and saw James peering worriedly at her.

"Who are you?" he asked gently. She looked scared to his eyes. If only he knew how much she was.

"James . . ." she whispered. Looking around, "Sirius . . . Remus . . ." her eyes stoped on Peter " . . . You . . ." giving him daggers she fainted again.

"Bloody hell. I wish she would stop doing that," remarked Sirius loudly scowling at her prone form.

"What was that about?" Peter asked in a small, dejected voice. James patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"If no one has any objections, I think I'll take her to Madam Pomfrey" Remus stated, moving around the couch and picking Hermione up into his arms as gently as he could.

Sirius caught the look in Remus' eyes when he felt the girl relax into him. Sirius grinned slightly and thought _Now now Remus your going to have competition if you continue with that_. Sirius thought that the 'mystery' girl was rather fetching with her brown curls and shapely figure.

Remus marvelled at how light she was and how well she fitted his shape. He hadn't felt like this for a long while, but then again, who could ever love a werewolf.

A/N: thanks for everyone reviewing if feel so pround and that i have friends! as usual read and keep reviewing with suggestions/comments : )


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